Brewers’ avoid Kade Anderson challenge that Cubs will now have to endure

There was never much fear that the Milwaukee Brewers would fail to take care of business against the Seattle Mariners this week once they opened up their three-game set with a historic beatdown, but it was nice to see them grab another series victory as they look to grab baseball's best overall record for the second consecutive year.

The Mariners, on the other hand, are nearing tailspin territory. Now 60-68 with a -46 differential (though that's still technically tied for the best mark in the AL West this year), the 2025 ALCS participants are on the cusp of falling out of the playoff picture entirely.

So, how are they responding to their embarrassment at the hands of the Brewers? By calling up the best pitching prospect in baseball, Kade Anderson... just in time for him to face the Chicago Cubs.

Cubs to face Mariners' prospect phenom Kade Anderson who was promoted after Brewers' series win over Seattle

There's really no such thing as an easy matchup against the Mariners -- the Brewers had to face Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby in their three-game series -- but Anderson might be on a completely different level. The third overall pick in last year's draft, he was immediately dropped into Double-A right out of college and has simply blitzed every hitter at the level. Besides his preposterous 1.06 ERA and 1.78 FIP in 18 starts, there's also the fact that he's racked up a 40.5% strikeout rate against a mere 3.9% walk rate this season.

The jump from Double-A to the majors is huge, and few players are capable of making it without getting humbled in a serious manner. Anderson is one of those rare few. The Cubs (and the rest of the baseball world) will find that out very quickly this weekend.

This is now becoming something of a running theme for the Cubs as well; back in 2024, they were tasked with handling Paul Skenes in his MLB debut, ultimately striking out seven times in four innings against the Pirates' phenom. Like Anderson, Skenes was a collegiate superstar at LSU, and he also required minimal "development" in the minor leagues before earning his shot in the majors.

For what it's worth, the Brewers won't simply be able to laugh as they watch a top prospect dominate their biggest rivals. They have an all-important series against the Braves on tap this weekend, starting with a ridiculous pitching matchup between Cy Young contenders Chris Sale and Jacob Misiorowski. And with each passing game, we're getting closer to the NL-Central-defining stretch in early September, when the Crew and the North Siders will face off seven times in 10 days.

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